Konnichiwa Minnasan! Hello All! Thanks for visiting to read about my adventures in rural Japan. I lived in Shimane prefecture from July of 2004 to July of 2009 as a member of the Jet Programme. Then I went back to Shimane from October 2010 to February 2016 to teach at a Japanese university. Now I teach history at a private high school where the Japanese students learn in English. Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Sakamoto sensei & the 9th grade Brass Band members

On August 24th, I drove about 2 hours north-east into adjacent Tottori prefecture to attend the Chugokutaikai - the regional competition for my Brass Band club.

I actually missed their performance by about 10 minutes (shhhh - don't tell anyone...) because I got a little lost and underestimated how long it would take me to get to the music hall. So just as I arrived, my kids were coming out of the main hall into the lobby to have their pictures taken. So I got to snap plenty of pics and hang out with them until the results were announced. They made the top 7, but not the top 3, which would have allowed them to go on to the All-Japan competition. From Shimane prefecture, Izumo First Jr High once again advanced - they are quite the powerhouse school in the Brass Band arena.

Once again, my band kids this year have turned out to be some of my favorite kids to hang out with and chat with - really great kids and quite a few of them are very good musicians as well.